Reconstruction Plan National Coordination, SW Regional Assembly, Dev’t Stakeholders Review Priority Projects

The National Coordination of the Presidential Plan for Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Region, PPRD-NW/SW held a working session with the Southwest Regional Assembly Executive and two (02) Regional Councillors of the Assembly per division to intensify the level of appropriation of the Presidential Plan. The meeting was aimed at improving the synergy of action and setting priority projects within the framework of the PPRD-NW/SW Program Document (PRODUC) for 2023 planned activities.

The team dispatched by the Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute held the working session at the Buea Mountain Hotel, on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

The working session that brought together members of the South West Regional Assembly, traditional rulers and development stakeholders in the Southwest Region featured three points; Presentation of the state implementation of the PPRD-NW/SW in the South West Region; Presentation of the 2023 PPRD implementation strategy; and presentation, synergising and prioritisation of the activities of the Southwest Regional Assembly and that of PPRD-NW/SW for 2023.

The President of the Southwest Executive Council, Zacheus Bakoma in his welcome note, appreciated the new National Coordinator for the PPRD NW/SW for coming to the Southwest Region to ensure that there’s no duplication with the SW Regional Assembly with the PPRD NW/SW.

The National Coordinator of the PPRD NW/SW Region in his speech following Instruction from the Prime Minister presented three points for the working session. “The Presidential Plan was put in place on April 3, 2020, it is a result of the will of the National committee during the Major National Dialogue held in Yaoundé, this presidential plan came to restore and improve the living conditions of the populations severely affected by the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. The reconstructions of these regions are among government priority for the next 10 years, it is for this reason that all phases of the reconstruction process are aligned with the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2020/ 2030”.

“With my appointment and that of the Deputy National Coordinator on the 4^th of November 2022, we felt that having seen the Prime Minister four days later, there was every need for us to follow his instructions. This occasion is therefore aimed at bringing together members of the Southwest Regional Assembly, and key development stakeholders in the Region with the intention to intensify the level of appropriation of the Presidential Plan; improve on the synergy of action between you the main key stakeholders in the Region and us in the National Coordination as well as the implementing partner; strengthen the mastery of the Presidential Plan Implementation strategy for the Year 2023”, the National Coordinator said.

The UNDP, partners with the PPRD presented the various projects in line and strategies to be used for the implementation of the projects.

Talking to the press, the President of the Southwest Executive Council, Zacheus Bakoma stated; “firstly, I thank the National Coordinator for the PPRD NW/SW for the initiative he took to come to the Southwest Region to discuss with the Regional Assembly. I think that the population should know that the idea behind this whole thing is to ensure that we avoid duplication of projects”.

The National Coordinator and his entourage visited the Southwest Development Authority, SOWEDA which is willing to be part of the Presidential Plan for the Development of the Southwest Region. Talking to the Press, the General Manager of SOWEDA Dr Bisong Ogork Ntui remarked that; “it is important to underscore the fact that SOWEDA is a development agency for Southwest Region, and it was created by Presidential decree and since then our activities have been towards Rural development and so when we look at the mission of the PPRD, we think SOWEDA stands a very good place to make a huge contribution because if you want to develop a Region or even recovering from the destruction that took place because of the crisis, you will realise that most of the victims of this crisis have been our brothers and sisters in most of the tvillages, the rural areas and that is where SOWEDA operates in most of its activities. So there is no gainsaying in emphasising that SOWEDA has a big role to play. Over and above that, SOWEDA has the resources in terms of human resources, logistic equipment and so on, so basically maybe what we need is if the funding is available then SOWEDA is ready to hit the ground running as far as this plan is concerned”.

During the Major National Dialogue Chaired by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, participants proposed, among the key recommendations, the reconstruction and development of the regions affected by the conflict. Based on the will expressed by the entire national community, the Government came up with the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the Northwest and Southwest Regions.

Approved by the President, the said Plan aims to restore and improve the living conditions of the populations severely affected by the horrors of the crisis.